nocnylot
05.10.05, 12:36
Boeing deliveries of commercial aircraft slumped to a ten year low in its
strike-hindered third quarter, the US aerospace company said on Tuesday.
Third quarter deliveries to airlines and lessors, at 62, were down by 23 from
the second quarter and by 5 from the year-earlier period. The previous low
quarter was the third quarter of 1995, when it was also 62.
A nearly month-long walkout by 18,500 workers at Boeing's plants in the
states of Washington, Oregon and Kansas ended last week and analysts have
said they are hopeful the company will be able to make up for the lost
deliveries in September.
Boeing's deliveries for the year to September stood at 217, behind the 271
total reported on Tuesday by European rival Airbus.
Boeing's most popular plane by far remained the 737 Next Generation, a jet
favored by low cost carriers. It accounted for 47 deliveries in the three
month period.
Separately, Boeing said Indian domestic carrier Jet Airways had confirmed an
order announced during the Paris Air Show for 10 777-300ER widebody planes.
(Reuters)
European planemaker Airbus delivered 271 aircraft in the first nine months of
2005, compared with 224 in the same period of the previous year, it said on
Tuesday.
Gustav Humbert, the new chairman of the group that is 80 percent owned by
EADS and 20 percent by BAE Systems, said last month he expected deliveries of
360-370 planes in 2005 and more than 400 in 2006 after 320 in 2004.
The two shareholders are due to decide on the launch of the A350 mid-sized
plane soon.
Rival Boeing, hit by a strike in September, expects to deliver 320 planes
this year and 395 in 2006. It said on Tuesday it delivered 62 commercial
aircraft in the third quarter, down three from a year ago, while the nine
month total was 217.
A spokesman for Airbus declined to say what the level of new orders was at
end-September.
Commercial director John Leahy said two weeks ago that it was possible that
the combined new orders of Airbus and Boeing this year could break the record
1,631 planes of 1989.
(Reuters)
